Monday, August 12, 2013

My 50 Favorite Rock Album Covers: #16-20

This is Part Seven in my series listing my 50 Favorite Rock Album Covers of All Time. This group of five, Numbers 16 to 20, contains one of the most iconic covers ever produced, and two from the very same artist, back-to-back in rankings. Let’s roll on through ‘em.As I’ve said throughout this series of posts, if you have a favorite album cover or two you’d like to share, please post it/them in the comments on the blog here, on my Facebook page facebook.com/collindanielsfanpage, or Tweet it to me @collindaniels.Collin's 50 Favorite Rock Album Covers of All Time#20: Corey Landis – 14 Old Messages

Sometimes the image on a cover will have little – or absolutely nothing – to do with the album title. Here, there is a direct link, but I love how the title appears as a practical part of the image. The answering machine indicates it I still saving 14 old messages. Younger readers may wonder at this point what the heck an answering machine is (was). The image and title are instantly evocative, because the viewer of course wonders, why were those messages saved, why are there so many, who are they from, and what do they say?#19: Corey Landis – Feast of Scraps

Again with Mr. Landis we have the title/cover image-direct-link-method. This drawing is so unexpected to me as the cover of a rock album. It summons feelings of royal courts and Medieval Europe, and projects a vibe of gluttony and greed. Without hearing the music, as a viewer I would be completely intrigued as to what sort of sound lies behind this curious image. #18: Metroplex – Everything is Chrome in the Future

Now that I’m seeing it in its place on this list, this cover makes me think of Blondie’s Parallel Lines at #34 and Rival Schools’ United by Fate at #29. This one seems to prove you don’t even need people or figures to make a cool cover, all you need is a bunch of lines, cleverly arranged. #17: Love Battery – Dayglo

This is one of the most flat-out fun covers on my list. The object is of course one possible illustration of the name of the band – not the album, a battery which puts out love instead of good ol’ electricity. I totally dig the childlike/old-school-comic-book spirit to this, the little drawn lightning bolts shooting out of the top, the “Lot’s o’ Volts” written on the side. And the album title is represented by nothing more than the color of the background – pretty sweet.#16: Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

What did I just say up above about a bunch of lines, cleverly arranged? I love this cover because it’s so iconic. I mean, one look and you just wanna KNOW what band put this out, what they sound like, what the hell they’re THINKING, ya know? And of course, the band and record in question did anything but disappoint.Coming soon, we nudge closer, ever-closer! to the top. Just three more parts, and 15 covers left to go. Share|